The Leader's Downfall
by Mark 'Manix' Odell
Summary: Serena loses her nerve in battle...with dangerous consequences for her...My first SM fic! Please R&R!
1. Default Chapter

It was going to be a very bad day.

Serena knew this, but in a completely different way. Since her day was going to be very much most of her weekdays, she could look forward to her usual regime of waking up late, getting shouted at, napping, getting shouted at yet again and then climaxing her school day by getting it in the neck with her mother for forgetting something that she really should have done during the day while her dad calmly read his paper.

Ever since she had seen 'Die Hard with a Vengeance' for the first time, she felt a strange connection with John Maclane as played by Bruce Willis, since they both had very bad days and nobody really understood them.

The school, as usual, was all hustle and bustle, although even more than usual since the three schools the girls attended were preparing to perform the Gerschwin musical 'Crazy for You' in a joint production, for which Mina had auditioned successfully and landed, to Serena and Rei's annoyance, the lead role of Polly. 

'I've got Rhythm' had been pounding into their ears every time they had a Scout meeting, because Mina's silky voice had been letting rip.

Serena now nearly knew all the words to the song off by heart.

"Cuh" she grunted, folding her arms as she watched all of the assorted school pupils run up and down the corridors like the early morning rush "Everybody's in such a hurry! And I bet it's because of this play…"

"Serena, stop being so bitter" Molly said, patting her friend on the shoulder "Everybody fails auditions once in a while"

"Huh…"

"Look, I think that this thing your friend Mina has with the lead actor is just a temporary infatuation…"

Serena knew well she had a crush on him…

"Perhaps he's just some big bozoo who happens to lay claim to a little sex appeal, looks her deep in the eyes and says 'I WANT you Mina, I WANT you' some big luvva boy who-"

"AWRIGHT! AWRIGHT!" Serena snapped.

Molly shrugged.

"Sorry Serena, just trying to keep your mind off the play" 

Serena sighed. Things were not going well. 

"Serena, I KNOW this play of yours is gnawing your mind…but why not just forget about it?" an exasperated Ami suggested, as Serena spilled her guts for the fourth or fifth time onto her bookworm friend.

"I can't!" Serena wailed "Polly was MY role!"

"It's just a musical" Ami said for the thirtieth time "I can't understand why you're so upset about it"

"It's not JUST a musical!" Serena ranted as they made their way down the busy, post-school time sidewalk which seemed to be occupied by nearly the whole population of the world, all of whom were pushing against them like an insistent icy wind from the north.

A golden sun shone down on the two friends as they wandered down the street, and Ami found herself blinking against her friend's glowing white shirt.

"What is it then?" Ami asked, simply.

"It's my future! My singing, my modelling, my career in entertainment as a TV STAR!" Serena whined.

Ami shook her head.

"Do you see me complaining about that kind of thing?" Ami said.

"No" Serena grumbled "Because I don't want to become the next Einstorm, or whatever his name is"

"EinSTEIN" Ami corrected.

"Whatever"

"Scout meeting this evening" Ami said "At six. I guess I'll see you then"

Serena nodded.

"I guess so. See ya later"

The two friends parted at the intersection of the road, Ami turning the corner and Serena carrying on down the road to her house. 

At least, she reflected, the day couldn't get any worse.

It could. The reptilian creature stood at maybe twelve feet tall, razor sharp spines stretching the full length of its back, enormous muscled arms that ended in mouth-like cavities that expelled a foul smelling gas.

"Yuck" Rei remarked "That is one bad smelling sewer rat"

"I'd…stay away from the gas if I was you" Ami said, stepping back as the gas drifted into a lamppost. There was a hiss, like steam, and then the lamppost collapsed into dust as if it was a pile of sand.

"Riiight…" Lita muttered as they saw a whip like tentacle snake out from its side, and whip-crack against the ground.

"Okay" A very bored Serena remarked, turning to her friends "You know the drill. Ami?"

Ami nodded, and in a loud clear voice, shouted her attack: Mercury Bubbles, naturel-mont.

The mist enveloped them all. Sometimes, the attack was so effective THEY got lost in it too. 

"I can't see anything!" Serena called.

There was the familiar cry of 'Jupiter Thunder Crash' and a bluish electric light lit up the sky for just a few moments as the creature took a full blast, absorbing the energy into its chest…and didn't even budge. 

"Oh dear" Ami remarked, and they all leapt aside as its whip tentacles, for it had two, lanced out and smashed into the ground, cracking the concrete in a spiderweb.

"Um…" Serena looked around "Everybody, hit it with everything you got!"

A variety of attacks smashed into the creature, but they might as well have been hurling digestive biscuits at it for all the good it was doing.

Serena turned, and saw Mina standing defensively, but looking completely unsure as to where the creature was, oblivious of the fact it was turning on her.

Serena knew SHE had to act, nobody seemed able to see in the mist, which the creature had somehow intensified. She felt a deadly droplet of panic begin to spread through her entire system – What to do? She hated it being left up to her, and while she'd done it before…it was one hell of a push to have it pressed onto her.

"MINA!" Serena cried, ready to unleash her tiara onto the tentacle the thing was snaking out…but somehow…the air seemed like treacle, and something was preventing her from moving, whether it was the air, her own bodily functions, or some unearthly power that just…wouldn't…let…her…move…

She knew it had all gone wrong the moment she heard Mina scream.

Mina lay on the ground, clutching her leg, crying out in agony.

Serena started to shake, feeling every single one of her nerves twanging like sitar strings being ferociously attacked by a professional player.

"SERENA!! WAKE UP!!" 

It was Luna's voice.

"I…I…can't…"

Then, as if some prayer had been answered, the fog appeared to be thinning out…and so was the youma. The thing rapidly gained transparency, and in less than thirty seconds, the mist had gone, and so had the creature.

Serena sighed in relief.

Then, Mina's groans brought her back like a sudden shock, and she rushed over to her stricken friend.

"You okay?" Serena asked, hopefully.

Mina winced

"No…it…hurts"

The other scouts rushed up.

"You're lucky you weren't killed" Lita remarked.

"We'd better get you to a hospital, when we return to our normal guises" Ami added.

"Good idea" Rei said "And then…we have a meeting"

Serena still held onto Mina, who was breathing shallowly. Serena was aware of the silence. Aware of the cold atmosphere. Very slowly, Serena tilted her head upwards. Their eyes were fixed on her, in an intimidating stare that bored into her. 

"What?" Serena asked, with a dry throat.

"What the hell was that?" Lita asked coldly.

"What do you mean?" Serena replied, defensively.

"The fact that you had nearly ten seconds to throw your tiara and maybe save Mina, and you didn't!" Rei attacked.

"Wha…? No! It's not as if I didn't want to save her is it?" 

"Seems like it to me" Mina muttered.

Serena stood up, stepping back, she couldn't believe this.

"Are YOU accusing me of not wanting to save my friend?!" she yelled.

"Then tell us WHY DIDN'T YOU!" Rei yelled back. 

"People!" Ami said, calmly but loudly "Calm down! It is admitted that Serena has shown some negligence, but this is not the place to discuss it"

Serena spun around to her supposed best friend.

"Negligence?! Ami, I thought you were supposed to be my friend!"

Ami nodded.

"I am Serena, but I am also facing facts – You didn't save Mina, neither did you attack the creature even though we were" 

Serena sagged.

"I'm sorry…I just…froze up"

Luna stepped forward, face a mask of rage.

"Serena! Your performance was negligible! As well as showing me your incompetence as a leader, you've also shown me how much of a coward you can be!" Luna raged.

Serena felt herself begin to crack, her self-esteem running out into the night.

"I…I…"

"Don't cry!" Luna snapped "That will not solve everything. Rei is right, we are holding a meeting…this time, to decide Serena's punishment!"

Serena was tired, but this was the worst thing that could have happened to her in a long time.

"No…" she muttered, as she transformed back into her own clothes, dragging her leaden feet behind her as her friends helped her carry Mina to the nearest phone booth…to call for an Ambulance.

Serena sat in the chair, the plaintiff to the other scouts prosecution. The spotlight was on her, and she felt distinctly uncomfortable in the chair Rei had chosen to seat her in. 

It hadn't started yet, and Serena hoped it wouldn't at all. But it did. There was silence as Luna began to speak.

"This has been an eventful night…Needless to say we can all see the 'leader' of the scouts can no longer continue with her duties"

This hit Serena like a punch in the stomach.

"Not leader anymore?!"  
Luna glared at her.

"I haven't finished – Furthermore, we have decided you are no longer fit to be a Sailor Scout"

This was like a hammer blow to the skull, the horrible and sickening truth of her position hitting her in one go.

"You are banished" Luna said "From the Sailor Scouts. A new leader will be decided. Goodbye Serena"

"Sorry Serena, but we felt this was the best thing we could have done" Lita said, not sounding the least bit apologetic.

"I'd go now" Rei said "Before you hear Scout business that doesn't concern you anymore"

There was a very long silence as Serena absorbed the blows like angry punches.

Serena slowly stood up, looking on the angry faces of all her so-called friends.

"Well…" she said, voice dry "…I see you had no choice" then she glared at them all "I'm glad this is how you really feel about me…"

Then, the emotions just burst out of her, and she began to weep, running crying into the night. 

She couldn't believe it. Unfit to continue as a Sailor Scout? No, that wasn't true!

Serena didn't stop running until she reached her house…and she collapsed on the porch. Serena cried so hard the doormat could barely absorb all her tears, and Serena just knew, somehow, that things would get worse.


	2. A helping hand

It was a cool day next day, clouds grey and angry, reflecting Serena's mood. She plodded to school, life stretching on ahead of her like a desolate cold road. She wasn't a scout anymore. No longer did she have that satisfying feeling of being a winner, of being good at something…no, she was nothing. Just a bog-standard teen with no powers and bad grades.

And her friends? What kind of compassion would they show to her now? Mina would probably never want to speak with her again, Lita would just use her as an opportunity to take her frustration out on her, Rei would laugh at her, and Ami was, for the first time, being cold and uncaring.

She tried to avoid her old route, out of seeing Ami again…

She caught sight of Ami, and she caught sight of Serena. Serena immediately turned away, speeding up her pace.

"Serena! Please wait up!" 

It was Ami's voice.

_Speed up, Serena, speed up…_

"Serena! Please!"

Serena found herself stopping. Ami ran up alongside her.

"Look" Ami said, her face a little sad "I…admit last night was pretty bad, but-"

Serena glared at Ami.

"Pretty bad. Is that how you describe it? If you haven't noticed, I've been thrown out of the scouts and consequently have nothing to live for…"

There was silence.

"So…How's Mina?"

"Uh…she'll be okay, she's asked to see all of us…except you" Ami added, contritely. 

"Naturally" Serena spat, bitterly "And I suppose you just want to express your disappointment with me"

"No!" Ami protested "I don't believe you were incompetent or anything…"

Serena raised an eyebrow. 

"What was it you said 'Admittedly, Serena's been negligent' or something like that? Got a bad memory Ames?"

"Serena-" Ami desperately tried to make her point.

"Ami" Serena said flatly "I'm sorry. This conversation is over, don't bother waiting for me when you go home today" 

With that, Serena walked steadily in the direction of the school, not looking back. She had a funny feeling she'd be doing rather a lot of that in the next few days…months…maybe even years.

Serena's mind was like purgatory, she didn't want to be in it but she had no choice. Bitter anger at her expulsion from the scouts…Guilt at being unable to help Mina…Despair that some of the best friends she ever had now wanted to have nothing to do with her. Apart from Ami.

Serena was annoyed that Ami was trying to act like nothing had happened, and consequently avoided her in school.

Serena felt lonely. Even with Molly, who was totally unaware of her disappointment, and took this melancholy attitude that had settled on Serena as being just in a bad mood over the play. 

However, Serena's fortunes were to get worse. So much worse.

Luna kept a respectful ten feet behind her former friend, who walked hurriedly home, knowing well Luna was there and was desperate to keep away from her. 

Eventually, Serena lost it, and spun around.

"Leave me alone!" she screamed, and then ran. 

Luna stood by her decision to throw her out, but couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her.

As dumb and klutzy as the girl could be, she had a good heart…

But she had shown incompetence, something she could not in a fight. It had taken her long enough to explain to Lunar Control as to her actions.

They all knew that Serena was the Lunar Princess, destined to be the Queen of Neo-Tokyo…but…

No matter how much Serena tried to avoid them all, they were just there…She thought about many things, how to improve herself…Maybe some great heroic act could redeem her…No, she'd probably just fudge it again…Changing Schools…? Like her mother would agree…Running away…Running away…Running away! 

Serena sat up from her despairing sprawled position on her bed, and considered it. Why not? She had enough money to last, and she could get a job in another town…

Her escape would be a quick, and hopefully nobody would miss her. She pulled out a bag, bundled as many clothes as she could into it, grabbed her washbag, stuffed in a few of her favourite oddments…including the locket Darien had given her to indicate his everlasting love for her…

She smiled, sadly. Never again, Darien, she thought, never again…

But I have to say goodbye…It'd be wrong if I didn't…

She tore a single page from her notepad, pulled out a biro and sat down at her desk. After a few minutes thought, she began to write;

Dear All

I am no longer who I believe myself to be, I am a shadow of my former self. Therefore, I am forgetting my old life, and starting again elsewhere. I won't say where, you'll just look for me. Lita, Ami, Rei and Mina. Well. What is there to say? You don't want to see me ever again, and now your wish is granted. Goodbye, you'll never see me again. Mom, I love you, dad, you too…and even Sammy. Just forget about me…And Darien?I won't forget you. 

Goodbye everybody. It's been emotional.

Serena

Serena put down the pen, just as two big teardrops splashed onto the sheet of paper. She sighed, and nearly cried her heart out. She had enough energy just to leave…

Serena grabbed her bag, looking around her room.

"Bye" she said, pausing to grab her bank details from her desk, and then left the room.

She was so wrapped up in herself as she left, that she would never have noticed the man had she not walked straight into him. 

Serena ran around the corner, and then cannoned straight into him like two cars colliding on the freeway. 

They collided with such force that it sent Serena spinning. Her world spun crazily, and when she finally focused on the object she collided with…she felt a sudden spasm of annoyance.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!"

"Sorry, Miss Tsukino" the husky voiced man said, politely "But I would like to speak to you"

"Why are you standing there anyway? I could've got hurt!" she exclaimed, still annoyed.

"Let's just say I knew you'd be there, and this would be the only way I could 'bump into you' I think is the best way to describe it"

She narrowed her eyes.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, suspiciously.

"You must come with me now" the cool sounding, well manicured young man said "Please. Now"

Serena didn't know why she was in the coffee shop, or why she'd followed the man there. All she knew now, was that she was sitting opposite him, staring blankly at her Hot Chocolate as the man looked at her, with cool and expectant eyes. She would have described him as quite cute, but there was something about him that showed he had no intention of taking her out. He looked too serious for that.

Then, he lifted his steaming coffee to his lips, and took a sip. He sighed.

"Ah…Tastes so good"

"Mister, who are you?" Serena asked, dumbfounded.

He smiled.

"Allow me to explain. My name is Ios, and I have a strange story to tell"

Serena shrugged.

"That's okay, I'm quite ready to believe you…I see enough weird stuff everyday"

Ios nodded.

"I know, Serena. You're Sailor Moon" he said quietly.

She looked startled. How did he…? He couldn't have…? 

"How do you know my name?" she gaped. 

He waved a pale hand dismissively.

"That is not important. What is important is that you listen to me"

She looked on intently.

He looked distant for a moment, and then turned back to her.

"Origins are what make us what we are. We all come from somewhere, and everything has a starting point, every action a reaction"

Serena remained silent.

"And there are several events in your life that may bring you down, and send another man up"

Serena leaned over.

"How do you know…?"

Ios sighed.

"I'll cut to the chase. I'm from the future, the Neo Silver Millennium…I'm sure you understand me"

Serena did. She felt unable to speak.

"You see, I'm what is known in the future time stream of the Neo Silver Millennium as a 'Time Watcher' – We monitor and care for the time stream, to ensure that the Neo Millennium stays how it is"

Serena said nothing, allowing the young man to keep talking.

"I come from a future where a benevolent queen rules over us all, life is peaceful and good for all"

He looked solemn.

"Being a Time Watcher, I am not bound by the constraints of what is known as 'The Time Stream', my past cannot be changed, I am in effect, untouchable by any events that occur in time"

He folded his arms.

"I was coming back from a mission, and I returned to a different future – A darker future, a future where my beloved queen was not queen, but a wanted criminal. There was no peace, only war, hunger and where the rich were richer and the poor extremely poor" 

Serena tried to get this in order in her head. Her? A criminal?

"Me?!" she exclaimed "A wanted criminal?!"  
"I fear so" Ios said "I couldn't face the thought of my beloved queen being turned into a wanted criminal – So I decided, against orders, to go on a mission to prevent this from ever happening"

He pulled out a sheaf of papers that he pushed over to Serena. It appeared to be a collection of notes and files, with statistics that Serena didn't understand at all.

"Uh…I don't…understand…"

Ios smiled, apologetically.

"Sorry. I'll be more plain" he tapped the papers "This is the information I've gathered as I've travelled through time – Which I can do, incidentally – And I traced back your criminal activities to these three days" 

Serena's heart jumped.

"You mean being thrown out of the Scouts? Is that what started that?"

"Yes" Ios said "Has that happened?"

"Last night"

He thumped his fist on the table with such force Serena thought it would break.

"Damn! I'm late!" 

He looked up at her.

"Did you see anybody that night? Apart from the creature you attacked?"

She was about to ask about how he knew about the youma, but decided against that judging from all his baloney about time travel.

"Um…no" she managed, weakly.

"Are you sure? No strange men?"

"What is your point?" she asked with a pang of annoyance.

"My point is that there was somebody there that night – Somebody who knew the consequences of what would happen afterwards"

"Like who?" Serena asked.

"I'll explain in a moment" Ios said "Did you feel…frozen? Like you couldn't move?"

Serena felt a blast of hope.

"Yes!" she exclaimed "You know something about that?"

"If it's the guy I think it is, he can do that – Psychically or by a plant of some kind, then yes. His name is Lekiel, and he's a very powerful terrorist-sorcerer. He hates Queen Serenity, or you, and would do anything to bring her, or you, down. When he discovered how to travel through time, he could do anything he wanted" 

Serena scratched her head, and fiddled with one of her odangos.

"So…does that mean I'm being framed?"

"Essentially, yes" 

She licked her lips, feeling outraged and scared at the same time.

"So what can we do?"

The man stretched, and then relaxed again.

"There is a way – But I will require your trust and total co-operation"

Serena considered this. She wasn't sure why she was so willing to believe him, and a sensible part of her told her it wouldn't work…But the rest of her told the sensible path to keep its mouth shut – She was ready to do anything to get her pride and position back, no matter what it took.

"Within five years, according to my research, you commit your first crimes – You'll be working in a shop when you develop a knack for petty thievery, which soon develops into proper thievery. In the next couple of years you're on the most wanted list for the theft of ten million dollars from Wall Street in New York…that's how bad it gets" Ios said, solemnly "The choice is yours"

"I'll do it" she said, firmly.

Ios smiled.

"Good. Before I explain the plan, I'm afraid you'll need help"

Serena narrowed her eyes.

"Who would I want to help me? I'm Public Enemy Number 1"

"According to this, Sailor Mercury continues to protest your innocence of these crimes for years, and leads the campaign to free you – eventually, she becomes part of a resistance movement against the sorcerer king"

Serena felt a smile touch her lips. Ami…was prepared to do all this for her? 

"Ami…" Serena whispered "…I…"

"Go and get her if I was you" Ios said "I'll wait here"

Serena couldn't have moved fast enough.

Ami was walking slowly across to the shopping mall. It reminded her of Serena there, just being there was comforting to remember how her and Serena used to enjoy so many times, Serena bleating on about the latest skirts and Darien…

As she stared up at the clothes shop, a sad smile pinched her lips. Maybe Serena would forgive her one day, and come back…

"AMI!!"

Ami spun around instantly, she recognised that voice.

It was Serena pounding towards her at full speed. Ami smiled, hoping that maybe Serena was ready to forgive her.

Serena skidded to a halt right in front of her, panting like a marathon runner.

"Oh, hi Serena…" Ami said, timidly.

Serena grinned widely, and to Ami's surprise and delight, Serena threw her arms around her.

She squeezed her hard, Ami returned the embrace.

"I'm sorry Serena! I'm so sorry…!" Ami wept into her friend's shoulder.

"Please don't apologise" Serena said tenderly "I know that you really do care for me. That you really are a true friend"

Serena was speaking the truth. Serena knew this, and said the sentence with more conviction than she'd ever said it before in her life. Ami felt happier than she'd been in a long time.

Ami looked at her.

"What…changed your mind?"

"A little bird told me" Serena whispered, smiling.

Ami smiled, the two friends now reconciled, straightened up and began to walk, Serena guiding them in the direction of the coffee shop where Ios was hopefully still waiting.

"Ami…" Serena said, thoughtfully "…If I told you that I'd dug up evidence that I was set up on that night I was thrown out, how would you react?"

Ami looked at her friend, a little startled.

"Well…I'd like to see this evidence, if I was being scientific"

"But if you were being a friend…?" Serena asked.

"Then…" Ami stuttered "I'd be ready to believe you, I guess"

"You guess?"

"Okay, I would"

Serena nodded, as they entered the coffee shop.

"I…want you to meet somebody"

Once inside, Serena guided them to the table were Ios sat, sipping his coffee.

Ios looked up and smiled.

"Ah…Miss. Anderson? Pleased to meet you" Ios said, raising his hand to her.

She looked at him.

"Who…are you?"

"I'll explain"

They sat down, and Ios began to explain everything he'd told Serena.

When he'd finished, some ten minutes later with some extra information he hadn't yet told Serena either, Ami looked at him intently.

"I don't want to sound untrusting…but…how do we know you are whoever you say you are?"

Ios smiled benignly.

"Of course, I'm sorry…Here is proof I am a timewatcher"

He reached inside his jacket, and in a flourish produced one of the most beautiful talismans either of them had ever seen. Silver in colour, with a multifaceted gem fixed into its centre with what appeared to be the seal of the Neo-Royal Family stamped on it. The gem gleamed in the sun, and it was just as well nobody was paying attention to them.

"Wow…" the girls breathed.

"So you see" Ios said, putting it back "I am a timewatcher. Only we have that amulet – we treasure them always" 

Ami and Serena nodded.

"So…what's the plan?" Ami asked. 

Ami was surprisingly willing to help now, Serena patted Ami on the back encouragingly.

"We must travel back in time to a few minutes before the incident last night. We must keep out of the way, do not directly interfere with the event or we will experience a time paradox that I do not wish to explain – preferably we want to remove the interfering element, some minutes before the event occurs"

"Right" Serena said, nodding "How are we going to go back?"

"With this" the man removed what looked like a mobile phone, but somewhat more expansive and looked as if it had been created in a Sci-fi movie.

"What's that?" Ami asked, looking at the gadget.

"How I travel through time" Ios said, simply "This here is the minute…the hour…the day" he indicated on the readout "Months and years"

"Well, I would say that time travel was impossible, but since I've done it once before, I wouldn't think it my place to say so." 

Serena grinned.

"You and me too, Ames"

Ios leaned over.

"Mistakes can be rectified, so we can try this several times…but it will be difficult beyond that"

He stood up.

"It is time for us to go. I will prepare you for our mission"

"With what?" Serena asked.

"You'll see" Ios said "Now let's go"


	3. History repeats itself again and again a...

Lita walked into the hospital ward where Mina was lying, leg still coated in plaster.

"Hey!" Lita announced cheerfully.

"Hi Lita!" Mina said "How's things?"

"Not too bad…" 

Mina looked up at Lita's face. Her smile was a little forced…

"You're upset about Serena, aren't you? You want her to come back"

Lita sighed, and nodded.

"It just seemed so wrong…I mean, that was the only real mistake she's made"

Mina nodded.

"I know…but I'm not quite ready to forgive her yet, I mean she bust my leg, I've had to pass on the role of Polly in the play because of her!"

"Right, right" Lita said "But…She's such a nice person, I couldn't imagine her hurting you on purpose" 

Mina nodded again.

"Like I said, give it time…" she looked up at Lita "Tell you what, when you see her, tell her to come and see me"

The door opened, and they both turned to see Rei walk in through the door, smiling when she saw Mina.

"Hi Mina! Leg better?" she asked.

"Much better…but I've had to pass on the role of Polly in the play"

Rei winced.

"Oh, I'm sorry…" she shook her head "Honestly, Serena has a lot to answer for"

"Oh, don't be so hard on her!" Lita said "I don't think even you can remain mad at her for long…it's not as if she tried to hurt Mina" 

Rei tried to protest, but sagged.

"Yeah, you're right…" she looked up "…But is she still fit to be leader?"

Mina looked at her.

"A little ambitious, I think Rei?"

Rei glared at her.

"Did I say anything about wanting to be leader? I'm just bringing the matter up!"

"Okay, okay!" Lita said "Cool it, willya? Come on, let's go"

Ios handed Serena and Ami two watches. Except the readouts showed seconds, minutes, hours, days, months and years.

"Whoa, big readout" Serena muttered.

"These are so that you keep track of time" Ios said "They immediately calibrate to their time period when a time journey is made" 

Ami and Serena both strapped them to their wrists, tapping them experimentally. They both read 5:00pm, May 6th. 

"You'll have to keep a low profile when we get there" Ios said, leaning against the wall of the alley they were currently standing in, getting their 'briefing' "Now, I have one or two ideas that might work. The first is changing the location, which may affect things. Pretend to be sanitation workers inspecting the park when your other selves arrive"

Serena put her hands on her hips.

"Oh, great. How are we going to convince anybody we're sanitation workers?" 

Ami turned to her.

"You've got the disguise pen, remember?" 

Serena slapped her forehead.

"Oh, Yeah, of course"

Ios smiled, folding his arms.

"Well?" 

They looked at him.

"Well what?"

"Transform. You're not going to have much time when you get there"

Serena nodded, and withdrew the disguise pen in a flourish.

"Disguise us as City sanitation workers…! Women, that is!"

There was a brilliant flash of phosphorescent light, and when Ios looked at them again, in front of him were two slightly taller girls, both of whom were clad in the uniform of Sanitation officers, replete with insignia and ID badge.

"Wow!" Serena said, looking at her badge, feeling her hard hat "That's what I call a disguise"

"Not bad at all" Ami remarked, looking at her own uniform.

"Right" Ios said, pulling out his time-device "Ready to go back?"

They nodded.

"As ready as we ever will be" Serena said "Are you coming?"

"Yes. To keep in contact…oh damn!"

Ios slapped his forehead.

"I KNEW there was something I forgot!"

"What did you forget?"

He pulled out two earpieces.

"I've already got one of these…They're communication earpieces which cannot be monitored by any other force, you activate the speaking mechanism by pressing the button on them, let go to listen to an incoming transmission"

"Fine" Ami said, and smiled, taking hers "Shall we go?"

"Okay…" the man said, tapping the digits of his time travel device "…What time did you start to fight last night?"

"Eleven" Ami said automatically "I've got a good memory"

"Then we'll give you a five minute head start" Ios said, pressing a few keys "10:55"

"Location, Brandy District main park"

Ios tapped a few more numbers, used a small touch screen for a few moments.

"Location set. Trans-temporal paradigms set." He looked up at the girls "Ready?"

They nodded.

Ios pressed a button. An electric wind picked up, blasting waste paper down the alley. The girls felt the charge in the air, electric spraks crackled off their fingertips.

"What the-?" Serena said, before a blinding blue glow exploded around them, and in one rushing, falling moment they were in a blue and black infinity, before it suddenly vanished. 

Serena and Ami looked around. They were back in reality again. A strong sense of déjà vu washed over them, as they realised the place. The park, the same park they had been in the previous night.

Serena looked up at the digital clock on one of the shops to their far left. It read 10:55pm.

Ami looked at her watch. 10:55pm, May 5th. 

"Amazing" she whispered.

"Well, it worked" Serena said.

Ios nodded.

"Now go to the park area where you fought, providing you just remain innocuous, everything should go well"

Ios nodded, and leaned against the shop window.

"Now go" he commanded. 

Serena and Ami put on a brisk pace as they hurried into the park, recognising the familiar surroundings as they trampled over the neat lawn. 

Ami looked to their left.

"Over there" she said.

They slowed down, and wandered over to where they reckoned they had had the fight.

They stood there for a few moments.

"Uh…so what do sanitation workers do?" Serena asked.

"Inspect drains for flaws and check that they're not infringing any health laws" Ami explained.

Serena screwed up her face.

"So they LOOK in drains? Yeuch" 

Serena looked at Ami again.

"So…if we're sanitation workers…then we need something to look at, right?"

"Right"

"What shall we look at?"

Ami looked around. Serena had a good point.

"Right…uh…"

There was a clink as Ami moved her foot forwards. They both looked down, to see a city sewer cover staring them right in the face. They started to grin.

"Makes you feel kind of silly, sometimes, doesn't it?" Serena said, comically.

"Yeah" Ami said.

Serena checked her watch.

10:57pm

"Not long now" she remarked.

They waited. 

"Funny thing" Serena said "If this goes well, we'll never remember this ever happening"

"Probably be best if we don't" Ami added "Especially for you"

Serena nodded.

"No kidding Ames"

She looked at her watch.

"Whoa…looks like our past selves will be turning up any minute, positions"

Ami and Serena then proceeded to put on a very impressive impression of two Sanitation workers who knew exactly what they were doing. Serena didn't know how long she was staring at the drain, but she heard footsteps.

Sounded like four or five people…yes, that was the Scouts alright. As the scouts got close to them, they stopped dead in their tracks.

"Uh…" Serena heard herself say.

Putting on a husky voice, Ami said

"Sanitation, please go to the next park"

"Um, thanks" Mina said, as the scouts ran off. 

After a few moments, there was an explosion. Serena and Ami looked up, and saw the creature with the scouts, the mist appearing…

"Great!" Serena whispered "Has it worked?"

Ami pressed the button on her earpiece.

"Ios, has it worked?"

There was a short silence and then

"No, nothing's different here. I guess moving the fight didn't work after all"

Ami and Serena nearly swore, but for the good of their dignity didn't.

"Tell you what" Ios said "Let's inspect the park, we'll go back in time about ten minutes before this time, just to check the park for any people who shouldn't be there"

"Right" Serena said "So let's go"

The park ten minutes before eleven was no different to it five minutes before, which Serena was somewhat disappointed with. 

Serena, Ami and Ios stood by the entrance to the park.

"Right" Serena said "What disguises do we try now?"

"Well…" Ios scratched his head "Preferably we just want you to keep discreet"

"Okay…" Serena said, raising the disguise pen before either of her companions could say a single word "Disguise us…as…discreet people!"

After another flash of light…Serena and Ami were wearing camouflage army uniforms.

"Discreet" Ami said, sarcastically "Very discreet. Who designed that pen?"

"Well, it'll help when we hide in the bushes" Serena said.

Ios, who was trying not to laugh, folded his arms and looked on.

"Um…very…fitting" he said, after some thought.

"Ha ha Ios" Serena and Ami said in unison.

"Now hurry" Ios said "I don't want to risk us running into the other versions of us that will be here in less than five minutes"

"Oh THOSE versions of us!" Serena said, as if she was getting used to the idea.

They ran into the park, Serena suffering the greatest sense of déjà vu she'd ever had, and turned off to the part of the park they'd directed the fight to.

"Right" Ami said, "Let's have a look for anything suspicious"

Ios nodded to them.

"I'll keep in contact – I'll leave you to it"

Ios ran off, Ami and Serena watching him go.

"Is he a coward, or does he just know what he's doing?" Ami asked, wonderingly.

Ami and Serena scoured the park in less than five minutes, and found nothing.

"Nothing!" Serena said, sitting on the bench "Absolutely-EEK!" 

She jumped up with a start, turning to stare at what she'd sat on. 

The object was about the size of a roll of film, silver coloured and with no other extraneous markings on it.

"What's this?" Serena asked, picking it up. 

Ami looked at it, and pulled out her computer.

"Analysing…" there was a whirr and a beep "…It's a psionic amplifier, it can magnify the powers of a psychic nearly tenfold"

"And that means…?" Serena asked.

"Power of the mind"

"Oh!" Serena nodded "I got it"  
"Look out!" Ami whispered, and they both stepped back into the shadows as two very familiar people wearing sanitation worker uniforms ran and stood in the centre of the park a short distance away. Serena could hear them talk

A very familiar voice said

"So they LOOK in drains? Yeuch"

Serena mumbled something under her breath about how weird she sounded in that disguise.

Ami and Serena's earpieces crackled into life.

"Quick, throw the amplifier over the wall to me. I'll neutralise its power"

Serena nodded, and taking the small object from Ami, hurled it in one swift swing over the wall. Throwing the Tiara also helped her throwing arm.

After a few moments, Serena and Ami saw the other scouts approach their other selves…heard some mumbled reply…and the scouts ran up to the path towards them. In a scene Serena and Ami had now seen twice and were getting bored of, the familiar reptilian creature appeared once again, spraying its unspeakable gases and whipping its tentacles against the floor. 

Mist once again…

Ami peered into the mist.

"Can't see…much"

After a short time, there was a scream. It was Mina.

"Damn!" Serena hissed "Why is it never working?"

Ios contacted them again.

"Sorry, it seems that Lekiel only used the amplifier for insurance…come on, I'll get you out of there"

"Try again" Ami sighed.

The park fifteen minutes before eleven was even more like the park ten minutes before than it had five minutes before. The time travel thing was rapidly losing its appeal. Serena and Ami were once again dressed in their normal clothes.

"Right" Serena said, irritably "What now? Showdown with the big guy?"

Ios shook his head.

"No" he replied "We're not nearly powerful enough for that"

"So what do we do? Shall we go into the park again?"

Ios shook his head.

"We're now in a rather awkward paradox – In five minutes time, the three of us who were in the park in five minutes time will be going into the park, while the three of us from five minutes on from that five minutes will be in the park again, and five minutes on from that you'll arrive with the other scouts, so there'll be four versions of you two and three of me, and we can't risk meeting our other selves" 

Serena scratched her head.

"This time travel is MAJORLY confusing" she said.

Ami nodded.

"We've been copied more times than that picture of Darien in your room"

Ios sighed, and thought for a few moments.

"This option is now out, so there is only one other solution I can think of"

Serena and Ami looked at him.

"What's that?"

He nodded at them.

"Let's go to the Municipal pond – I'll tell you my other plan there"


	4. A Brave New World

Ios sat on the concrete edge of the pond

Ios sat on the concrete edge of the pond.

"You see…" he said "…What we need to do is go to the future, the wrong future I know…" his voice trailed off "…But we can get hold of something to loosen Lekiel's power"

"How's that?" Ami asked, stretching in the warm evening air.

"Have you heard of the Thanatos device?"

Serena and Ami gave him the blankest of blank looks.

"I'll take that as a no then" Ios sighed, and sat up "This device was essentially what allows Lekiel to change the time stream, what allows him to travel – Everything"

"So…" Serena said, excitedly "If we can get hold of this gizmo, we can destroy it, right?"

"Uh…" Ios looked a little hesitant "Not…exactly…"

"So how?" Ami asked.

Serena leaned forward, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, how?"

"The Thanatos device can only be destroyed by something of equal power, specifically…"

"…Another Thanatos device?" Ami asked, nodding as she began to understand what Ios was getting at.

Ios brought his hand down on the concrete.

"What I have in mind is, that we travel to the future, seize his Thanatos device from that time, and then travel back to the exact point where he makes his first time journey – If we can ambush him then, and fight him off just so that we can get hold of his own device, which he keeps around his neck, we can put the two together…and boom"

"Boom? Game Over?" Serena asked, hopefully.

"Right on" Ios said, smiling "But first we need to achieve this" 

Ami and Serena looked at each other.

"The future" Ami said "We went there once before…but only the once"

"Things will have changed" Ios advised "It may come as something of a shock"

Serena and Ami nodded, understanding.

"Right…" Ios said, standing up "Let's go"

Serena turned to Ami.

"How's about it Ami? You ready?"

Ami grinned.

"Sure am, Serena…Sailor Moon"

Serena smiled tenderly at this.

"To me, you still are Sailor Moon" Ami added, smiling again.

Serena have her a brief hug, before they turned to Ios.

"We're ready" Serena said, firmly "Now…let's go kick some serious upholstered Lekiel butt!" 

Ios rolled his eyes.

Ami giggled.

Ios pulled out his device, and keyed in the dates.

"Synchronise watches, ladies" he said "We're off to the future"

Their watches beeped responsively as Ami, and Serena after a little effort, set their watches.

Ios pressed a button.

The air was still, but only for a second. Soon, the air around them began to pick up, spinning into a tornado. Serena was aware of feeling as if her body had exploded and imploded at once as lightning crackled off her skin in the electric gale that now engulfed the three of them. Serena felt the blinding white explosion around her, and that now familiar sensation of falling…even if it was longer, into that deep blue infinity.

"….yaaaaaaah!!!" Serena wailed as she landed. Awkward paradigm setting by Ios had dropped them off four feet above the surface of the ground, and all of them ended up in a struggling heap.

"Amy? You there? I can't see anything!" Serena groaned as she lay face down in the soft, warm blackness…soft and warm?

"That's because you're sitting on me" Ios mumbled, as Serena apologetically scrambled off onto the tarmacked surface. Amy took her foot off Ios's neck, and clambered down onto the cold, wet ground. Serena looked down. The ground was smooth, but it was covered in puddles, and the smell of oil was persistent where they had landed. 

As Serena looked around, she realised that they were in an alley. A slender, black gap between two buildings which looked as their respective walls had received more than their fair share of abuse over what was obviously years. Graffiti, smoke-stains…nothing appeared to have not given this place its mark. 

Rubbish littered the ground, waste paper blew in the soft breeze, sending it dancing across the surface of the ground.

At the end, where the darkness seemed to end, was some light. Glowing pinks, greens and blues shone tackily in the world outside, cars hammered down the road from all directions, sluicing through puddles and spraying oily-water into the air.

Serena was shocked as to how different it was from Neo Crystal Tokyo.

"Its…horrible…" Amy said, slowly.

"Yes" Ios remarked, coldly "Isn't it just?"

They all stared into the street, at the shops, the hundreds of people – People walking the streets, all seemingly normal people…and other people, lying in groups at the edges of street corners, with dark uniformed law-enforcers shouting at them, directing traffic and standing by the sides of the roads looking dangerous.

"What has he done to my kingdom?" Serena said, wonderingly as her blue eyes stared out at the dystopia she saw.

"It is worse" Ios said "So much worse"

He turned to Serena and Amy.

"Disguise yourselves. You must remain incognito" 

Serena pulled out the pen. She faltered.

"Uh…what do I say?"

"Disguise yourselves as…street kids of this age, that'll do" Ios replied.

"Um…okay"

Serena raised the pen.

"Diguise me and Amy as…street kids of this age I think!" she said.

In a flare of light, Amy and Serena disappeared for a moment, before returning. They were dressed in leather jackets and uncomfortably short skirts, strange necklaces around their necks and quite thick layers of make-up. They also wore boots, and blackish tights.

"Ugh" Serena said in disgust, looking her self over "I can't say much for futuristic fashion!"

"Me too!" Ami agreed, even if their taste in clothes was completely different.

"The make-up should help" Ios remarked "You'll be more difficult to spot"

He turned to them.

"This…." He said, waving in the direction of the street "…Is the future. Currently. A totalitarian society run by Lekiel, where the people are controlled and easily duped into believing in this hell"

Amy and Serena nodded.

"It's worse" he said "When your fellow scouts learned of your criminal actions, they set out to save you and your future. But Lekiel got to them first"

"Oh no…" Serena gasped "He didn't…kill them, did he?"

"No. But in a magical trap, he forced them over to his side. They're physically on his side, but their memories or beliefs haven't changed. It's their punishment for opposing him"

Serena and Amy looked shocked. The scouts punished? They were now on Lekiel's side, even if they _knew _they didn't want to be?

"Why…haven't they quit?" Amy asked, softly. 

"Because their friends and relatives are threatened with death should they disobey any of his commands"

"What do they do?" Serena asked, weakly.

"Because they are good people, he has been able to control their moves with blackmail and threats of death, and he is ruthlessly efficient at that. Rei Hino controls the police force, Mina Aino is the propaganda officer of the state and Lita Kino is the agricultural secretary, essentially in control of food distribution and other economical matters"

"I…I see" Serena whispered, on the verge of tears.

"If we can achieve our objective, we can save them from this ghastly fate" Ios said "Now take these"

He handed them both small, folded up pieces of paper. 

"These are detailed maps of the town. I'm going to get some rooms at a hotel for us, which I have marked on the map. I have also marked our start position so you can know where to go back. Stay out of trouble" he said, turning away "See you at the hotel in an hour"

Serena and Ami didn't know what to say.

They looked into their new and hellish world.

"This…" Serena muttered "Is Neo-Tokyo?" 

"I don't want to believe it" Ami said, shaking her head "But…I've got to. WE'VE got to" 

They walked out onto the street into the bitter cold night, both holding their jackets closely to themselves…what had happened to this world that had been a utopia, but was now something approaching hell?

Serena looked across the road, to where two bums were being brutally hounded out of a shop doorway. Rei wouldn't have stood for that, Serena reflected, Rei may be stubborn and argumentative but she's got a _heart_…I bet she's really suffering. What about Lita and Mina? All part of this dreadful world…

"It's awful" Ami whispered, turning away so that Serena couldn't see the tears gathering in her eyes.

Serena comforted her friend.

"Ami, don't worry; I think we'll pull through" Serena said, with more confidence than she really felt.

Ami wiped her eyes.

"Yes…you're right" Ami said "It will be okay"

"MOVE ALONG!!" A voice bellowed.

Serena and Ami turned in irritation to see a burly officer in dark blue uniform, tapping his baton against his thigh impatiently.

"Why can't we stand here?" Ami asked.

"Because it is not a designated zone" the man replied, brusquely.

"Then where is the designated zone?" Serena asked, coolly. 

"Over there!" the officer pointed to a position somewhere down the road.

Ami furrowed her eyebrows.

"That's half a mile away!" she pointed out.

"Give the girl a prize" the man sneered sarcastically "Now MOVE!"

"No!" Serena stormed, folding her arms petulantly. 

The officer suddenly grabbed them each by the scruff of the neck, and pulled them off down the road. 

"You're coming to the station; to meet Commander Hino!" he barked.

"Commander Hino?!" Ami asked, but the officer was no longer listening to them, and so they allowed themselves to be dragged to the Police station.

The stationhouse was noisy, grimy and full of people. Whether it be drunks, dangerous tattooed types or young women whose demeanour and dress suggested they were prostitutes.

Serena and Ami, handcuffed, were escorted in and forced to sit in the waiting room.

"Wait here" the officer snarled at them, and strolled off into the offices, where Ami and Serena could see all kinds of typists, telephone operators and cops of both sexes on their night rounds; some at coffee machines and laughing loudly.

Ami shook her head.

"I can't say I'm too impressed with the law-keepers in this city so far"

"Me neither; I mean that guy handled us like a Gorilla with a bad temper!" Serena huffed.

Then the officer came back in.

"Commander Hino wants to see you" the man said "Stand up"

They did so, and allowed themselves to be led down a variety of linoleum-paved corridors before they were pushed into an office door…and they stared.

Seated at the desk was Rei. She wasn't looking at them, she appeared immersed in her paperwork. She was as beautiful as ever, but there was a certain weariness that sat on her shoulders, and a strange sadness. She was dressed in an immaculate uniform, and her Raven black hair hung loosely behind her back. 

"Ma'am? The troublemaking youths you requested be brought here?" the officer asked.

Rei looked up, wearily. Her eyes widened. She blinked. It was obvious that she was having a lot of trouble grasping the fact that Serena and Ami, two of her best friends were standing in front of her, plain as day!

Rei stood up. She was a good deal taller and shapelier than before, but this was hidden well by her uniform.

"Leave us alone, officer" Rei said, softly. 

The man nodded, bowed, and left, closing the door behind them.

Rei sighed, and smiled.

"Sorry about that…it's just that…you remind me of some people I once knew"

"Rei…" Ami said "…it's us!" 

Rei blinked.

"I don't follow" she replied, a little confused.

"Serena and Ami!" Serena replied cheerfully "Us! You know, Ami the brainbox, I'm meatball head!"

Rei looked them both in the eyes to see if they were telling the truth. In the moment she realised they were, her face softened drastically. Even then, Ami and Serena saw the tears trickling down her face.

"Oh my….it…it can't be…but it is…" Rei murmured.

"It's us Rei!" Ami replied "We came from the past to save the future"


End file.
